The Unprovability of Utility and Utility as a Moral Feeling

Abstract

Philosophers regard the human desire for happiness as an instinctive act, and utilitarians also say that the desire for happiness is a ‘principle of nature’ given ‘from the beginning.’ J. Bentham and J. S. Mill say that it is natural for humans to pursue utility. They say that axioms as principles of nature are unprovable. If the majority of people only consider their own interests, the community will turn into a selfish society. Even though the attitude of humans pursuing utility is a principles of nature, if we remain in that state, the community will become a society that pursues only private utility. Accordingly, this article first discusses axioms as natural principles. This paper then points out the limitations that appear when the pursuit of utility remains limited to the pursuit of individual interests. Additionally, this article suggests the need to move beyond axioms based on natural feeling to utility based on social feeling. Axioms based on social feeling is utility pursued by individuals as moral beings. Lastly, this article presents the role of the individual as a ‘moral being’ and the direction for public utility.